Tons of of knitters have been crafting trauma teddies within the colors of the Ukrainian flag to welcome kids arriving in Scotland after fleeing Russian bombs.
The bears have been stitched by folks from throughout Scotland after retired main faculty trainer and grandmother, Eilidh Dow, determined to begin knitting bears for youngsters from Ukraine.
Eilidh, from Greenback in Clackmannanshire, had spent the previous winter making "trauma teddies" to ship to children experiencing distressing occasions all over the world.
The Fb group, Teddies for Ukraine, was arrange and the knitting sample for the teddies was posted on-line.
The web page has drawn 670 followers in simply over every week and folks round Scotland have been knitting the colorful bears.
Dozens of youngsters from Ukrainian orphanages got one of many bears as a welcome once they arrived in Scotland final week, and in future they are going to be distributed by way of the Ukrainian Membership in Edinburgh.
Eilidh stated: "These kids have had their lives turned inside out; so many traumas rolled into one almighty nightmare.
"We hope this sends a message to Ukraine and its folks simply how a lot folks in Scotland are interested by them, how a lot we care and the way a lot all of us need to do what we will to assist.
"Scots are well-known the world over for our heat welcome and hospitality; all of us need to make a distinction proper now and we're simply so moved by the quantity of people that have gotten behind the undertaking and at the moment are knitting these little bears that are being given to the youngsters once they arrive after an extended, exhausting and harrowing journey to our dwelling in Scotland.
"The curiosity we have had has been overwhelming."
Eager to discover a distributor for the bears, Mrs Dow's daughter, Mhairi Clarke, contacted the charity Dnipro Children which was concerned in bringing 54 orphanage kids, together with seven authorized guardians, to Scotland.
The youngsters got their teddies, with a handwritten be aware, of their welcome field final Friday.
Mags McPherson, a volunteer with Dnipro Children, stated: "The group arrived safely in a single day in Callander final week and Friday noticed what was essentially the most humbling and rewarding day of my life after I was privileged to be allowed to journey to Callander with the bins, every field labelled with the kid or grownup's title and a welcome message.
"To see the delighted faces once they opened the bins was actually superb.
"The Teddies for Ukraine undertaking has actually captured the nation's temper and supplied a lot love and positivity on the most tough of occasions."
The Ukrainian Membership in Edinburgh has welcomed the initiative and can assist to distribute the bears, tons of of which have been knitted.
Its chairwoman, Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk, stated: "We can be opening the neighborhood centre as a hub quickly and can provide them to the youngsters once they go to.
"It's a great concept and the knitted bears have introduced a lot pleasure to the people who find themselves knitting them and luxury to the youngsters receiving them."
The sample for the teddies and extra data may be discovered on Fb at https://www.fb.com/UkrainianTeddies
Knitted teddies may be despatched to Teddies for Ukraine, Hibernian Neighborhood Basis, 12 Albion Place, Easter Street Stadium, Edinburgh, EH7 5QG.
Trauma teddies have been used to consolation children in Scotland earlier than.
In 2018, Police Scotland's Tayside Division launched a pilot scheme in Dundee that noticed officers carrying trauma teddies to offer to children at crime scenes. The bears had been knitted by area people teams.
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